Holland's next budget looks to invest in safety, structures

Sunday

Apr 20, 2014 at 5:04 PM

By Annette.Manwell@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4270

In some ways, the city of Holland’s fiscal year 2015 budget is keeping the status quo. In other ways, it borders on exciting — if budgets can be exciting.This year’s theme is capital reinvestment, City Manager Ryan Cotton said. Although city council members were forced to vote in recent years on painful cuts to every department, this year it will be making decisions on how exactly to move forward with major projects.There are some changes in how the tax levy will be distributed, but the millage rate likely will not change. The council agreed the recommended millage rate of 15.1085, the same as last year, should be published. Once the rate is published, it cannot be raised.The distribution changes will be to lower the operating levy from 9.6585 mills to 9.5 mills and the levy for general obligation debt from 2.8069 mills to 2.340 mills. The difference will be added to the capital levy, which sets aside money for street and sidewalk improvements and municipal capital projects. That levy then will rise from 1.2860 mills to 1.9114 mills. The city will collect a total of 13.714 mills.The city’s levy also includes the Herrick District Library levy of 1.2571 mills and the West Michigan Airport Authority levy of 0.1 mill. Everything together totals the 15.1085 millage rate to be levied by the city.A millage rate is the rate at which property taxes are levied on property. A mill is 1/1000 of a dollar. Property taxes are computed by multiplying the taxable value of the property by the number of mills levied. Though the city's millage rate remains unchanged, taxable property values have increased by 1.2 percent. Property owners could then, see a slight increase on their taxes.The city’s proposed fiscal year 2015 budget is estimated at $223,395,620. Most of that is the Holland Board of Public Works' formidable budget. The general fund budget, on which the other city departments and services operate, was proposed at $21,398,732. It is balanced and maintains the fund equity at more than $3 million.A few items stuck out during budget discussions this year:• Holland Department of Public Safety: The city is considering replacing or renovating its two roughly 40-year-old fire stations. Engineers said renovation is not the best option. HDPS Chief Matt Messer said the options are two new fire stations, with the Kollen Park station relocated; a new Kollen Park station and renovate the Waverly Road station; or renovate both. Building new is estimated at $6 million. The city would have the option of bonding and building the stations or create a sinking fund and save up for them.The city has two K-9 units, each works 12-hour shifts, but that still leaves half the time without a K-9 available. Councilmen Myron Trethewey and Todd Whiteman both spoke heavily in favor of adding at least one more unit. The money likely can be found to purchase and train the team, Messer and Cotton agreed. The $11,800 to continue funding annually is the problem, Messer said. Public Safety uses roughly 50 percent of the city’s general fund budget. There is a goal of decreasing that to 49 percent while maintaining the minimum staffing levels the department is at now with 57 sworn officers, including Messer, three captains and 18 full-time firefighters.Another goal is to purchase defibrillators for the trunk of each of the department’s 18 patrol vehicles. Police officers, who could be the closest to the scene of a medical call, do not respond now, Messer said. If defibrillators are added to the trunk equipment, that could mean saving a life. The budget includes purchasing three defibrillators this year at a cost of $7,950.Another need is to purchase a new pumper fire truck. The money — roughly $575,000 — is available in the fire truck replacement fund, which has money deposited in it annually to save up for the big purchases. This truck was supposed to be replaced last year and even if approved, it will be March 2015 before the department takes delivery of it. The truck being replaced will become the department standby, the older standby pumper truck will be sold.• Parks and Recreation: While the theme this year was deemed capital reinvestment, one thing that has likely been scratched from that list is the Civic Center. Estimates to turn the building into a world-class event center ran up to $13 million. The newest idea is to remove the recreation activities from the building and build new just for recreation. The Civic Center could then continue with events and more could be done to the facility later. A year-round farmers market inside is also being considered. It could be years before decisions regarding this building are brought to fruition.There was discussion as to whether Lakeview Park property, bought from the Holland School District last year, should receive legacy funds to improve it for recreation programs or if a property purchase that could improve the DeGraaf Nature Center is more important. Mayor Pro Tem Bob Vande Vusse campaigned for the latter.Whiteman also asked for more money to be put into planting more trees. The proposed budget was upped from $10,000 for tree planting to $30,000, but with the city losing so many ash trees because of an emerald ash borer infestation, Whiteman believed trees should be a priority.— Follow this reporter on Facebook or Twitter, @SentinelNetty.

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